Inequality in the cannabis industry

With cannabis fully legalized in two states, gearing up for legalization in another 10 or so, and medically available in 20, we must remember our grassroots and not forget about the people who got us here.

While Colorado and Washington put together unreasonable regulations to soothe unfounded fears by uninformed people, with other states sure to follow their lead, we’re giving a big middle finger to the little guy and opening the door to crony corporatism in the marijuana market.

It has always been argued that it’s just another small step in the right direction, but just how much do we have to sell out before we can say we’ve gone the wrong direction? Ask around and you’re sure to find people happy everywhere about society beginning to no longer lock people in cages for consumption of a plant and the prospect of being able to buy and consume a bit more freely, but for the average person that’s where it ends.

We’re going to have a legal cannabis market, but only those with fat stacks and good connections are going to get in on the production and sales side of it; the poor need not apply. The rest of us are supposed to be happy with what we’re handed and if we want to work in the industry, we’re going to have to suck it up and work for the new cartels. With the way things are going, the option of the independent grower and seller has no way of coming to fruition. Such is the economic way of life in this country it seems.

Those with dreams and aspirations of having their own little business in the cannabis community didn’t work their asses off so big tobacco and well connected people could come in and run the market due to the high barriers of entry.

Every burdensome regulation meant to calm someone’s irrational fear means lower quality, less diversity and more centralization of economic power in the hands of a few. We have clearly seen how great that turns out in other industries.

Everyone seems so caught up in it being legal to consume cannabis, that they’ve lost sight of the fact that it should be just as much of a right to grow and sell the plant as well.

These restrictions being put in place are entirely unnecessary and are doing a great deal of harm to the community by excluding a lot of people from the process, while also discriminating against those with lesser means. We should be fostering an environment where everyone has an opportunity to get into the cannabis industry and compete, rather than allowing it to become a playground for corporate giants.

Remembering the little guy (or girl) who got us here when setting the framework for a legal market is not only good economic sense, but just the right thing to do.

Stephen Carter

Stephen Carter is a 28 year old journalist and information technology specialist living in Waco, Texas. He has been working with the cannabis movement since 2009. He founded Texas Cannabis Report in 2013 to bring Texans accurate cannabis related news.